WTF Hearing aids are worth more than their weight in than gold! - Page 3

diehardbiker · 04-24-2012, 06:02 PM

Again it goes to cost of production, millions and millions people buying cell phones which spreads out the cost to manufacturing them comparing to how many people buy specific purpose hearing aids? Probably just few thousands that is it which push the cost of manufacturing, engineering higher.

Here is a math hope you can understand,

Cost of engineering, making tools to make hearing aid, materials for hearing aids can cost 50 million dollars, divide that say 50,000 customers that need hearing aid, cost to make it is $1,000 dollars each = limited profit.

Comparing to Cell phone, Cost to manufacturing, engineering, labor say $1,000,000,000 (hundred millions of dollars), and 25 millions of customers want it each would cost only 40 dollars each and sells for 99 dollars, nice profits there already.

So again, it is the law of supply n demand.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frisky Feline

i dont get it why the cell phone costs so cheaper than HA. cellphone has many features etc while HA has less features. jeez

diehardbiker · 04-24-2012, 06:04 PM

Exactly

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaidaUP

Lots of people buy cell phones / mobiles so that bring the cost down.

Less people buy h aids so the prices are kept high.

Frisky Feline · 04-24-2012, 06:37 PM

Thanks dhb. yeah that sucks.

RoseRodent · 04-29-2012, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolgirlspyer90

My dad told me that my HA cost about $5,000 for just my right ear before i got implanted. it's still pretty brand new! I only worn it for a few months before my right ear didn't want to cooperate with me.

Sell it! If it's from the latest range for the manufacturer you get around 70% back, previous range 50% back, the range before drops to around 30%, but those are still numbers worth having. It will only continue to lose value.

soutthpaw · 05-02-2012, 12:24 PM

price out a new CI processor... it will make your HA feel like a bargain.

FadedRose · 05-03-2012, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbaro

Yeah, they cost an arm and a leg. I'm wearing Starkey digital hearing aids. They are worth over $2,000 just on sale. Bleh. Well, at least, you can go for analog hearings. They're affordable. I miss Siemens analog hearing aids.

I have the starkey series 9 and I hate them with a passion.
I HAD resound but my dog chewed them up. I had those HAs for many, many years. I cannot hear as well with starkey, if anything my hearing seems worse with starkey. I cannot use setting 1 that blocks out background noise-or directs the mic to what noise is closer to me, when that happens it's like I'm not wearing HA's at all. I use setting 3 at all times which is really loud, no background noise filter at all. I have to or else I wouldn't be able to hear at all.

My audio was fitting everyone with these aids and I think for corporate reasons. I got them for free-through voc rehab when my husband was unemployed back in 2010 so I really cannot complain. I did ask for the resound but no, it had to be starkey. I have been seeing her since I was 9 but she's turned it appears to greed. I will not be going back, her needs above mine? Not right. Now I'm stuck with these aids forever until I can actually afford to get either resound or a C.I-maybe in both ears but I'd prefer not to. I'd prefer not to wear HA's at all and not speak. I'm Oral Deaf btw. I'd prefer to use ASL than my voice but my job and just about everything I've been raised around since being raised orally requires speech.

blah, enough ranting! Simply put, I hate starkey. I don't even know how much the Series 9 cost and do not care-it is JUNK.

Barbaro · 05-03-2012, 11:36 PM

I am sorry to hear that you are not happy with the Starkey Series 9. It may not work for everyone. I haven't tried Resound. I grew up with Siemens the most of my life until the Siemens had discontinued analog hearing aids. Early digital hearings were awful. If I raise my voice, the music feature set off to let me know I raised my voice too high. But at the same time, I had to wait for that music feature to turn off by itself, so I can hear myself to talk again. It was such a nuisance. I do have hard time hearing low frequencies more than high frequencies. I do change my private audiologists, because some of them are very biased or impatient.

My digital hearing aids currently are the Starkey Series X. They are new, and were released last year. They have three features, 1. normal, 2. less vibration, and 3. more high. I can hear a cashier around 8 feet away in the noise background. I also can hear my voice in the noise background, which surprised me. However, they're not analog sounds. It's like to listen to the digital (computer) voices. There is one thing I like about digital hearing aids is that they can control feedback. I have very severe TMJ, and they always set off feedback all the time. I have been wearing hearing aids daily since I was a toddler. My parents've had decided to opt hearing aids over CIs for me. I learned sign language when I was around 8. I like ASL more than voice.

cdmeggers · 05-03-2012, 11:57 PM

I'm surprised Vocation Rehab didn't consider YOUR option when it came to getting new hearing aids. When VR bought my hearing aid, they went with what I chose/wanted, and they were fine with it. But then, I suppose each state's VR have their own guidelines/rules/etc. Hopefully you can find an audie that will work with you and consider your ideas/suggestions instead of being greedy. Every customer should be able to pick out/get what they want. I grew up wearing Phonaks. I've tried Oticon for a short while, didn't like it and went back to Phonak. Some people just cannot tolerate a different company because their products are just going to sound different and be more difficult to get used to, and would rather stick with what they know works best for them.

Sarfarigirl2011 · 05-07-2012, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbaro

I am sorry to hear that you are not happy with the Starkey Series 9. It may not work for everyone. I haven't tried Resound. I grew up with Siemens the most of my life until the Siemens had discontinued analog hearing aids. Early digital hearings were awful. If I raise my voice, the music feature set off to let me know I raised my voice too high. But at the same time, I had to wait for that music feature to turn off by itself, so I can hear myself to talk again. It was such a nuisance. I do have hard time hearing low frequencies more than high frequencies. I do change my private audiologists, because some of them are very biased or impatient.

My digital hearing aids currently are the Starkey Series X. They are new, and were released last year. They have three features, 1. normal, 2. less vibration, and 3. more high. I can hear a cashier around 8 feet away in the noise background. I also can hear my voice in the noise background, which surprised me. However, they're not analog sounds. It's like to listen to the digital (computer) voices. There is one thing I like about digital hearing aids is that they can control feedback. I have very severe TMJ, and they always set off feedback all the time. I have been wearing hearing aids daily since I was a toddler. My parents've had decided to opt hearing aids over CIs for me. I learned sign language when I was around 8. I like ASL more than voice.

same here, grew up with Siemens as a little kid and I still have my old Siemens!

SilentRider · 05-07-2012, 08:37 PM

Try finding out if u can purchase additional health insurance through your work, and what it covers.. then if can and it covers hearing aids. U pay like a.few hundred more a month for a year. Get 2 hearing aids. Molds etc. Then cancel the ins after a year and go back.to what u normally have with work plan. U will find it was cheaper than to buy the hearing aids.

SilentRider · 05-07-2012, 08:43 PM

Also with additional insurance u can get other service like acupuncture, additional teeth cleaning and depending on the plan. Make your money work for ya.

FadedRose · 05-09-2012, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdmeggers

I'm surprised Vocation Rehab didn't consider YOUR option when it came to getting new hearing aids. When VR bought my hearing aid, they went with what I chose/wanted, and they were fine with it. But then, I suppose each state's VR have their own guidelines/rules/etc. Hopefully you can find an audie that will work with you and consider your ideas/suggestions instead of being greedy. Every customer should be able to pick out/get what they want. I grew up wearing Phonaks. I've tried Oticon for a short while, didn't like it and went back to Phonak. Some people just cannot tolerate a different company because their products are just going to sound different and be more difficult to get used to, and would rather stick with what they know works best for them.

Voc rehab told me to get what I wanted or what I thought was best for me. I picked resound but my audio(bitch) convinced me that starkey was better. I regret trusting her since I'd been with her since I was 9 years old. I will be getting resound again when I can afford to.

FadedRose · 05-09-2012, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilentRider

Try finding out if u can purchase additional health insurance through your work, and what it covers.. then if can and it covers hearing aids. U pay like a.few hundred more a month for a year. Get 2 hearing aids. Molds etc. Then cancel the ins after a year and go back.to what u normally have with work plan. U will find it was cheaper than to buy the hearing aids.

I have health insurance but it doesn't cover hearing aids.
It's blue cross blue shield PPO.

I do agree-if your health insurance covers it go for it!

Grayma · 05-15-2012, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiro

I'm sorry but you've gotta be out of your mind to be plunking down $10,000 for hearing aid unless it's as powerful as CI and will last for a good 10 years along with lifetime warranty or not.

I feel sorry for whoever paid that much for hearing aid. They got scammed good. It's like paying $1,000 for a 5-minutes routine check-up by "top doctor". That's just ridiculous.

Lack of common sense, I say.

It's all relative. If hearing aids allow him to perform a job that pays 70K a year and without the aids he can't do the same job, then it might be worth it to him.

If you have the skills to perform a job that pays 70K with or without HA, then maybe not.

If you don't have the skills for such a job, then almost certainly not worth it.

Grayma · 05-15-2012, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diehardbiker

Again it goes to cost of production, millions and millions people buying cell phones which spreads out the cost to manufacturing them comparing to how many people buy specific purpose hearing aids? Probably just few thousands that is it which push the cost of manufacturing, engineering higher.

Here is a math hope you can understand,

Cost of engineering, making tools to make hearing aid, materials for hearing aids can cost 50 million dollars, divide that say 50,000 customers that need hearing aid, cost to make it is $1,000 dollars each = limited profit.

Comparing to Cell phone, Cost to manufacturing, engineering, labor say $1,000,000,000 (hundred millions of dollars), and 25 millions of customers want it each would cost only 40 dollars each and sells for 99 dollars, nice profits there already.

So again, it is the law of supply n demand.

Yes, THIS is the law of supply and demand. You should teach an economics class.

PowerON · 05-15-2012, 03:56 PM

Small unit, cost too much
large unit, cheap..

However, if everybody are deaf and few hearing. The Hearing Aids will be frickin cheap and come with style.

Frisky Feline · 05-15-2012, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PowerON

Small unit, cost too much
large unit, cheap..

However, if everybody are deaf and few hearing. The Hearing Aids will be frickin cheap and come with style.

poke everyone's ears, will you?

PowerON · 05-15-2012, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frisky Feline

poke everyone's ears, will you?

Good idea, I'll go to every hospital and kiss newborn's ear to make them become deaf. Time to destroy...

green427 · 05-15-2012, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grayma

It's all relative. If hearing aids allow him to perform a job that pays 70K a year and without the aids he can't do the same job, then it might be worth it to him.

If you have the skills to perform a job that pays 70K with or without HA, then maybe not.

If you don't have the skills for such a job, then almost certainly not worth it.

That is my philosophy as well.

[removed other opinions to keep the peace around here]

**KristinaB** · 05-15-2012, 05:23 PM

Know I mentioned this somewhere on AD before. My kids got their HA's through Missouri Medicaid and they each got 2. Total cost for each child, $4800. I did not have to pay anything at all except the cost for the batteries. I had no choice as to what kind or where I could go. Beltone only and they got OtoSonic (I think). Then, flash forward 8 years, and I went through VR and got mine through them. I got 2 and total cost for my $8000 and I did not pay for anything. Also, I had no choice on where to go and what kind to get. So, I was sent to Beltone and had to get OtoSonic. So, for the kids and I, all the batteries were the same and I had to pay for them only.

Now, kids refuse to wear them and we donated their HA's to the Deaf Service Center/Hearing Wellness Center here in WPB, FL. My HA's met an untimely demise and were smashed. Just 1 years after I lost them, I went total deaf. Now, my kids still have a need for them, but refuse to wear them. I have no problem with that as I feel they are old enough to make up their minds about it. Daughter has a mild loss, and HA's won't really make a difference for her since they don't clear up the quality of speech, only make the sounds louder. Son has a severe loss and doesn't care. He is slowly learning ASL with me. Daughter is also picking up a few signs.

kokonut · 05-15-2012, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grayma

It's all relative. If hearing aids allow him to perform a job that pays 70K a year and without the aids he can't do the same job, then it might be worth it to him.

If you have the skills to perform a job that pays 70K with or without HA, then maybe not.

If you don't have the skills for such a job, then almost certainly not worth it.

Quite relative. Indeed. It's not always about a job (but that's a big factor, too) but everything else that makes wearing a hearing aid worthwhile (for me that is) such as playing ragtime piano, using telephones to talk with anybody, holding conversations with people around you, listening to music and talk radio shows, and so on. To me, if there were only a few hearing aids brands of good caliber and quality that cost around $10,000, I'd buy it. There wouldn't be any hesitancy on my part. No different from those who find spending $60,000 on a cochlear implant or spending $30,000 for an Esteem Envoy implantable hearing device be worthwhile to have. Just because one cannot use a hearing aid beneficially doesn't mean other people cannot and would not buy one of that price if given the opportunity. Quite the contrary. Even at $10,000 I'd consider that as a bargain when one sees the tradeoffs.

My last digital hearing aid lasted 13 years which turned out to be the equivalent of about $13 bucks a month. I don't look at the big price picture like many do but what I can get out of it over a stretch of several years and the return benefits I get out of it.

**Bottesini** · 05-15-2012, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kokonut

Quite relative. Indeed. It's not always about a job (but that's a big factor, too) but everything else that makes wearing a hearing aid worthwhile (for me that is) such as playing ragtime piano, using telephones to talk with anybody, holding conversations with people around you, listening to music and talk radio shows, and so on. To me, if there were only a few hearing aids brands of good caliber and quality that cost around $10,000, I'd buy it. There wouldn't be any hesitancy on my part. No different from those who find spending $60,000 on a cochlear implant or spending $30,000 for an Esteem Envoy implantable hearing device be worthwhile to have. Just because one cannot use a hearing aid beneficially doesn't mean other people cannot and would not buy one of that price if given the opportunity. Quite the contrary. Even at $10,000 I'd consider that as a bargain when one sees the tradeoffs.

My last digital hearing aid lasted 13 years which turned out to be the equivalent of about $13 bucks a month. I don't look at the big price picture like many do but what I can get out of it over a stretch of several years and the return benefits I get out of it.

That's $2000 so it's easier to come up with.

Your $10000 aid would need to last 65 years for the same value.

kokonut · 05-15-2012, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bottesini

That's $2000 so it's easier to come up with.

Your $10000 aid would need to last 65 years for the same value.

I don't see it that way. I see the overall value over the long term. Even if it lasted only several years I still got a lot of value out of it. And worth every penny because I benefitted from it.

Grayma · 05-16-2012, 10:32 AM

Maybe cost is something that can be measured wtih a calculator, but value can only be measured by the individual.

Derek's turbo charged engines have no value to me. My son-in-law's shiny red truck has no value to me.
To me a vehicle is only transportation. I just want it to run, have enough seatbelts for my family and our foster boys, and for the air conditioning and heating to work. It can have a muffler or not, be pink, yellow, or green, be scratched dented, banged up, look pretty or look like a work truck- I do not care. It's just transportation for me.

I have a lot of books (between 8,000 to 10,000) and they are valuable to me, but to somebody else, they are a waste of space.

kokonut · 05-16-2012, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grayma

Maybe cost is something that can be measured wtih a calculator, but value can only be measured by the individual.

Derek's turbo charged engines have no value to me. My son-in-law's shiny red truck has no value to me.
To me a vehicle is only transportation. I just want it to run, have enough seatbelts for my family and our foster boys, and for the air conditioning and heating to work. It can have a muffler or not, be pink, yellow, or green, be scratched dented, banged up, look pretty or look like a work truck- I do not care. It's just transportation for me.

I have a lot of books (between 8,000 to 10,000) and they are valuable to me, but to somebody else, they are a waste of space.

Exactly! For me it has value and I find using a hearing aid is extremely beneficial. It serves a purpose for me. Others might scoff at it because they see no value in it but for me I see value even if it were the only few brands available that cost $10,000 because it works for me.

**KristinaB** · 05-16-2012, 01:23 PM

For me, the happiness and comfort of my kids was most important. I have been willing to find a way to pay for new HA's for them, most especially my son, but his words to me the other day even made my MIL stop getting onto my case. MIL kept saying I was an unfit mother to make my son miss out on hearing. Son basically said he would commit suicide if we forced him to wear HA's. HE understands that other people are fine with them. HE also understands that other people are fine with CI's. He does not believe it is fair of a parent to implant a child. He understands the argument regarding the whole "threshold levels and ages for obtaining speech" and feels that after seeing what his sister went through, and also seeing what countless other kids went through, both with HA's, CI's and those who went without. He said that the happiest kids were those that got to go without, but had the full support of their families and services. These kids were introduced to ASL as infants and gained speech later in their childhood (after 1st grade). My MIL understood what he was saying and said she respected his decision and then apologized to me.

deafdyke · 05-18-2012, 08:13 PM

I wonder too if the sky high price of HAs is due to the addition of pretty much "pretty" bells and whistles.........I mean the sound quality of my hearign aids from 20 years ago is the same as what I hear today.

xunixan · 06-03-2012, 05:00 AM

I'd just finished paying for a pair of Oticon Agil mini-BTE's, cost me 5500$. Insurance companies up in Can usually have a max amount, usually ridiculously low, for ex $500/2 years. Before that I had Siemens CIC Music Pro ($3000i) and needed to replace those after just a few years. It's unreasonable/unfair that people who need HA's to work/live are not covered, but CI is.

Course shortly after that I lost my hearing overnight from SSHL and now they're sitting in their box. Explained to Oticon and the audio clinic but I couldn't get even a partial refund, and to try selling.. no clue.

Regarding the high prices, I heard Embrace Hearing has been working on the high cost of HA's buy offering new HA's for 300-700. .

EmbraceHearing · 06-05-2012, 08:59 AM

xunixan -- Embrace Hearing is that you noticed this coverage, and that we were mentioned as a solution to high prices.

Hearing aid prices are getting out of hand, which helps to explain why only 25% of the population who might benefit, actually get hearing aids.

The cell phone analogy is a good one, and helps to explain why wholesale hearing aid costs are so high. But the real issue is with the distribution channel. When a hearing clinic sells a $5000 set of hearing aids, they probably paid around $1000 to the manufacturer, meaning they keep $4000 as profit.

That $4000 often covers follow up service for the life of the hearing aid -- but $4000 is a lot to pay for a handful of follow up visits (most people come back less than 3 times in the year after purchasing).

When people buy hearing aids online, they don't have the luxury of unlimited free follow-up care. But for many people, the chance to save $4000+ on the initial purchase, may be worth the inconvenience of a re-programming by mail.

Plus, if you've saved $4000, you can afford to put that money toward fee-for-service re-programming from a local professional (very unlikely to add up to anything close to $4000 over the life of the hearing aids).

Our most popular model is $1200 for two high-quality mini-BTE RIC that are comparable to what you'd get from a local professional for $3000+. They are made in Germany -- not China -- and come with a 45-day, no-questions asked return policy.

warpedpink · 06-08-2012, 01:20 PM

An article from the Huffington Post

Sam Tanzer: Americans Are Paying Too Much for Hearing Aids

05-02-2012, 12:24 PM	#65 (permalink)
soutthpaw Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Colorado Posts: 345	price out a new CI processor... it will make your HA feel like a bargain. GrayEagle likes this.

05-03-2012, 11:36 PM	#67 (permalink)
Barbaro Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: dæləs Posts: 1,308	I am sorry to hear that you are not happy with the Starkey Series 9. It may not work for everyone. I haven't tried Resound. I grew up with Siemens the most of my life until the Siemens had discontinued analog hearing aids. Early digital hearings were awful. If I raise my voice, the music feature set off to let me know I raised my voice too high. But at the same time, I had to wait for that music feature to turn off by itself, so I can hear myself to talk again. It was such a nuisance. I do have hard time hearing low frequencies more than high frequencies. I do change my private audiologists, because some of them are very biased or impatient. My digital hearing aids currently are the Starkey Series X. They are new, and were released last year. They have three features, 1. normal, 2. less vibration, and 3. more high. I can hear a cashier around 8 feet away in the noise background. I also can hear my voice in the noise background, which surprised me. However, they're not analog sounds. It's like to listen to the digital (computer) voices. There is one thing I like about digital hearing aids is that they can control feedback. I have very severe TMJ, and they always set off feedback all the time. I have been wearing hearing aids daily since I was a toddler. My parents've had decided to opt hearing aids over CIs for me. I learned sign language when I was around 8. I like ASL more than voice. __________________ We know what we are but not what we may be. -Author:Shakespeare

05-03-2012, 11:57 PM	#68 (permalink)
cdmeggers Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,215	I'm surprised Vocation Rehab didn't consider YOUR option when it came to getting new hearing aids. When VR bought my hearing aid, they went with what I chose/wanted, and they were fine with it. But then, I suppose each state's VR have their own guidelines/rules/etc. Hopefully you can find an audie that will work with you and consider your ideas/suggestions instead of being greedy. Every customer should be able to pick out/get what they want. I grew up wearing Phonaks. I've tried Oticon for a short while, didn't like it and went back to Phonak. Some people just cannot tolerate a different company because their products are just going to sound different and be more difficult to get used to, and would rather stick with what they know works best for them. __________________ My Ear Blog Advanced Bionics BEA Volunteer Mentor

05-07-2012, 08:37 PM	#70 (permalink)
SilentRider Registered User Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Ca Posts: 270 Blog Entries: 12	Try finding out if u can purchase additional health insurance through your work, and what it covers.. then if can and it covers hearing aids. U pay like a.few hundred more a month for a year. Get 2 hearing aids. Molds etc. Then cancel the ins after a year and go back.to what u normally have with work plan. U will find it was cheaper than to buy the hearing aids. __________________ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

05-07-2012, 08:43 PM	#71 (permalink)
SilentRider Registered User Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Ca Posts: 270 Blog Entries: 12	Also with additional insurance u can get other service like acupuncture, additional teeth cleaning and depending on the plan. Make your money work for ya. __________________ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Today
Deafness	Sponsored Links __________________ This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members. Register your free account today and become a member on AllDeaf.com

04-24-2012, 06:37 PM	#63 (permalink)
Frisky Feline Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 20,242	Thanks dhb. yeah that sucks.

05-15-2012, 03:56 PM	#76 (permalink)
PowerON Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: 37.5, 126.9 Posts: 10,335 Blog Entries: 5	Small unit, cost too much large unit, cheap.. However, if everybody are deaf and few hearing. The Hearing Aids will be frickin cheap and come with style. Grayma likes this. __________________ • [Illustrator.Blog-alloon.com] • Don't shoot me! I'm only blogger!

05-15-2012, 05:23 PM	#80 (permalink)
KristinaB New SDIT Deacon Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Land of the backstroke Posts: 13,778	Know I mentioned this somewhere on AD before. My kids got their HA's through Missouri Medicaid and they each got 2. Total cost for each child, $4800. I did not have to pay anything at all except the cost for the batteries. I had no choice as to what kind or where I could go. Beltone only and they got OtoSonic (I think). Then, flash forward 8 years, and I went through VR and got mine through them. I got 2 and total cost for my $8000 and I did not pay for anything. Also, I had no choice on where to go and what kind to get. So, I was sent to Beltone and had to get OtoSonic. So, for the kids and I, all the batteries were the same and I had to pay for them only. Now, kids refuse to wear them and we donated their HA's to the Deaf Service Center/Hearing Wellness Center here in WPB, FL. My HA's met an untimely demise and were smashed. Just 1 years after I lost them, I went total deaf. Now, my kids still have a need for them, but refuse to wear them. I have no problem with that as I feel they are old enough to make up their minds about it. Daughter has a mild loss, and HA's won't really make a difference for her since they don't clear up the quality of speech, only make the sounds louder. Son has a severe loss and doesn't care. He is slowly learning ASL with me. Daughter is also picking up a few signs. __________________ Taking life one day at a time.

05-16-2012, 10:32 AM	#84 (permalink)
Grayma Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 958	Maybe cost is something that can be measured wtih a calculator, but value can only be measured by the individual. Derek's turbo charged engines have no value to me. My son-in-law's shiny red truck has no value to me. To me a vehicle is only transportation. I just want it to run, have enough seatbelts for my family and our foster boys, and for the air conditioning and heating to work. It can have a muffler or not, be pink, yellow, or green, be scratched dented, banged up, look pretty or look like a work truck- I do not care. It's just transportation for me. I have a lot of books (between 8,000 to 10,000) and they are valuable to me, but to somebody else, they are a waste of space. ambrosia likes this.

05-16-2012, 01:23 PM	#86 (permalink)
KristinaB New SDIT Deacon Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Land of the backstroke Posts: 13,778	For me, the happiness and comfort of my kids was most important. I have been willing to find a way to pay for new HA's for them, most especially my son, but his words to me the other day even made my MIL stop getting onto my case. MIL kept saying I was an unfit mother to make my son miss out on hearing. Son basically said he would commit suicide if we forced him to wear HA's. HE understands that other people are fine with them. HE also understands that other people are fine with CI's. He does not believe it is fair of a parent to implant a child. He understands the argument regarding the whole "threshold levels and ages for obtaining speech" and feels that after seeing what his sister went through, and also seeing what countless other kids went through, both with HA's, CI's and those who went without. He said that the happiest kids were those that got to go without, but had the full support of their families and services. These kids were introduced to ASL as infants and gained speech later in their childhood (after 1st grade). My MIL understood what he was saying and said she respected his decision and then apologized to me. MintyOreo likes this. __________________ Taking life one day at a time.

05-18-2012, 08:13 PM	#87 (permalink)
deafdyke Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Trebekistan Posts: 13,099	I wonder too if the sky high price of HAs is due to the addition of pretty much "pretty" bells and whistles.........I mean the sound quality of my hearign aids from 20 years ago is the same as what I hear today.

06-03-2012, 05:00 AM	#88 (permalink)
xunixan Registered User Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 92	I'd just finished paying for a pair of Oticon Agil mini-BTE's, cost me 5500$. Insurance companies up in Can usually have a max amount, usually ridiculously low, for ex $500/2 years. Before that I had Siemens CIC Music Pro ($3000i) and needed to replace those after just a few years. It's unreasonable/unfair that people who need HA's to work/live are not covered, but CI is. Course shortly after that I lost my hearing overnight from SSHL and now they're sitting in their box. Explained to Oticon and the audio clinic but I couldn't get even a partial refund, and to try selling.. no clue. Regarding the high prices, I heard Embrace Hearing has been working on the high cost of HA's buy offering new HA's for 300-700. .

06-05-2012, 08:59 AM	#89 (permalink)
EmbraceHearing Registered User Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 1	xunixan -- Embrace Hearing is that you noticed this coverage, and that we were mentioned as a solution to high prices. Hearing aid prices are getting out of hand, which helps to explain why only 25% of the population who might benefit, actually get hearing aids. The cell phone analogy is a good one, and helps to explain why wholesale hearing aid costs are so high. But the real issue is with the distribution channel. When a hearing clinic sells a $5000 set of hearing aids, they probably paid around $1000 to the manufacturer, meaning they keep $4000 as profit. That $4000 often covers follow up service for the life of the hearing aid -- but $4000 is a lot to pay for a handful of follow up visits (most people come back less than 3 times in the year after purchasing). When people buy hearing aids online, they don't have the luxury of unlimited free follow-up care. But for many people, the chance to save $4000+ on the initial purchase, may be worth the inconvenience of a re-programming by mail. Plus, if you've saved $4000, you can afford to put that money toward fee-for-service re-programming from a local professional (very unlikely to add up to anything close to $4000 over the life of the hearing aids). Our most popular model is $1200 for two high-quality mini-BTE RIC that are comparable to what you'd get from a local professional for $3000+. They are made in Germany -- not China -- and come with a 45-day, no-questions asked return policy.

06-08-2012, 01:20 PM	#90 (permalink)
warpedpink Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: California Bay Area Posts: 832	An article from the Huffington Post Sam Tanzer: Americans Are Paying Too Much for Hearing Aids __________________

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